


An Accidental Wolf

by Kalira



Category: Naruto
Genre: (of the bad guys), Battle, Feral Behavior, Feral Hatake Kakashi, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kakashi Week, Kakashi Week 2020, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26172199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: The ambushing Iwa nin didn't anticipate the predator they unleashed with their disabling jutsu - on most people, peeling away the veneer of higher reasoning makes them useless, pliable. Most people don't have a wolf lurking just beneath the skin.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi
Comments: 28
Kudos: 369
Collections: Dog Sensei & Sparklepuppy, Kakashi Week 2020, Kalira's Kakashi Week Stories (2020)





	An Accidental Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Kakashi Week](https://kakashiweek.tumblr.com/post/623757588975190016/kakashi-week-2020-prompts), Day 4: Feral
> 
> My second feral!trope story for this event! I'm just really fond of it, I admit freely. >.> I had another idea as well, but that one is currently tabled for later. . .

Sakura managed to sweep the legs out from beneath one of the enemy nin in one smooth turn - his form was very poor; Iruka-sensei would never have allowed it to pass, she thought absently as she continued the movement, reversing her kodachi for a disabling blow. She whirled away, ducking rather than blocking, and skipped over a low kick without letting it slow her down. She stole a glance sideways as she moved, seeing one of the enemy nin facing Kakashi-sensei fall into a sudden crack in the earth before she had to return her attention to her own opponents.

A sharp twist of locked blades tore the battered sword from the man’s hands, and Sakura flinched as he immediately began shaping seals instead, a wave of fire sparking to life between them. Sakura sheathed her sword, her hands moving fast, raising a wave to counter the katon, her eyes flicking to the hitai-ate he wore, glinting with reflected sparks. Iwa; she wondered if they were sanctioned or not - if the Hokage had known before sending them out so near Tsuchi no Kuni that relations had reached such a low.

She could all but hear Kakashi-sensei’s low grumbling about the quality of the information they were expected to work from already. It was a little reassuring, as well as irritating, really.

Sakura groaned as a kick got through her guard and caught her hip, but moved with it, letting it throw her back and staying on her feet, reversing her momentum with a quick pivot, drawing her kodachi again. She was holding her own at least - though she was breathing hard and rather hoping Kakashi-sensei dealt with his own problems and came to help soon - when an echoing, wretched howl jangled her nerves and made her ears ring.

She looked just in time to see Kakashi-sensei slam bonelessly into the ground. “ _ _Sensei!__ ” Sakura shrieked before she could stop herself. He wasn’t __moving__. Sakura didn’t let her movements more than hitch, though - sensei had taught her better than that, and it was only all the __more__ important if Kakashi-sensei were-

With him __down__.

“ _ _Fuck__ , someone help me with this little-”

The man didn’t get to finish his sentence, one of Sakura’s small - but effective - specialised raiton jutsu taking him in the face and crackling off his hitai-ate even as he toppled backwards.

Sakura fought as hard as she could but she was still only a genin, and there were too many of them left. Though there were fewer, by the time they had her caught, she thought with vicious satisfaction - bitter as it was. They dragged her away and Sakura whined, eyes on Kakashi-sensei, lying still even as one of the nin examined him, until she was hauled inside a small cabin and her line of sight blocked.

“Relax, kid, he’s not dead yet.” It was one of the bigger Iwa nin who spoke, smiling at her, scarred lips twisting strangely.

His words were not __nearly__ so reassuring as the smile made Sakura think he was trying to be, however awful his reason.

Another of the nin - a dark blue block surrounded her brow and stretched back past her ear, Sakura couldn’t tell if it was paint, ink, or a chakra mark - scoffed as she moved behind Sakura, plucking her pouch off her and tossing it away. “Hard to pick his brains if he’s dead.” the nin said with a much nastier smile than her teammate.

That, Sakura thought, shuddering as she remembered that __awful__ reanimation jutsu, was not entirely true. They would have trouble getting anything out of Kakashi-sensei however they tried, though, she knew.

The thought was of limited comfort; Sakura knew all too well what kinds of things might be tried in the name of that goal.

“What about her? She’s just a genin.” a red-faced nin said as he stumped in the door.

Sakura glanced around - taking in all the surviving enemy nin in more detail, now she wasn’t moving and could do little else - and wondered how he knew that. It was true, of course, but it wasn’t as though it was emblazoned on her.

“Is __he__ secure?”

“’course. He’s going nowhere ‘til we’re ready for him, and,” red-face flipped a small knife, then tucked it away somewhere, “the jutsu isn’t either. It’s anchored.”

Sakura’s stomach knotted.

“’s in the new Bingo Books, honestly.” one of a pair of nin near the corner, just out of easy range to watch, snapped at the other. “Sharingan no Kakashi has an __apprentice__ ; genin, little pink thing.” He gestured dismissively at Sakura.

Sakura kind of wanted to take offense to that, but she was hardly in a position to do so even if she’d had good grounds for it.

“Oh, I doubt she’ll know anything much,” scarred mouth said, “but she’ll know outposts, patrols, gate guards. . .”

Sakura didn’t react. She __did__ know those things - and possibly more than she should; Sakura __watched__ , and she put together patterns, and she was apprenticed to Kakashi-sensei who was one of the busiest jounin in Konoha, and _encouraged_ cleverness and solving puzzles - but there was no reason to confirm it for them. And she had __no__ intention of revealing any information that could be useful.

She was also smart enough to realise she might not have a choice, in the end. The knowledge didn’t make her feel better.

“So. Little genin apprentice.” possibly-chakra-mark said with a smirk, and Sakura glared, meeting her eyes squarely. “Brave little thing.” She grabbed Sakura’s chin.

“Not a bad thing, that.” red-face said, moving closer. “Long as she gives us what we want.”

Sakura braced herself, trying to show only the slightly nauseating twist of fear she felt as her mind raced. Sakura knew she was unlikely to be able to get free; she couldn’t even prevent her capture, for her to _escape_ they would have to make a mistake she could exploit. A significant mistake. Kakashi-sensei was alive but unconscious and restrained, as well as held by some kind of jutsu. They weren’t bringing him in yet, focusing on her. . . What could Sakura give them that they would __believe__ , without-

Sakura twitched as scarred mouth’s first question was interrupted by a crashing sound, and her eyes widened as she identified the cabin’s door careening across the room, slamming into one of the pair of nin standing further away. The other had sidestepped, and flung a handful of kunai through the open door even as Sakura turned as much as she could to get a look.

Her heart squeezed as a high-pitched yelp sounded from outside. It was followed by silence, nothing audible beyond the enemy nin talking. Sakura didn’t scoff as they debated - with alarm and no little aggravation at one another - who had missed the ninken, who were also annotated on Kakashi’s entry in most bingo books, even as three of them made to head outside to confirm it was down.

It hadn’t been a ninken. The question was-

Two points on the wall to Sakura’s left smashed inwards in a spray of splinters and she got a glimpse of familiar hands in tough gloves as the nin Kakashi-sensei had grabbed slammed backward against, rather than __through__ , the wall. A moment later there was a faintly sickening crack, and with a last __thud__ of skull against wood, Kakashi-sensei released his throat and he collapsed to the floor.

Sakura could hear Kakashi-sensei now, even as the wood crashed inwards; he was snarling, low and warning, a powerfully thrumming sound. His mask no longer covered his face. Possibly-chakra-mark hissed and lunged, with the quiet sound of a weapon unsheathing, but Kakashi-sensei was still moving, out of the wreckage of the hole in the wall in a breath and on red-face in half a breath. He punched and twisted to lash out with a kick, both of which Kakashi-sensei evaded fluidly, using the enemy nin as a shield as the others targeted him, slipping behind the man. Sakura twisted her hands and tested the ropes binding her as scarred mouth watched her sensei and possibly-chakra-mark moved away.

Kakashi-sensei’s fangs tore into the enemy nin’s throat, biting deep and ripping away as his yell subsided into a rough gurgle. Kakashi-sensei was still moving, another of the nin knocked back with a harsh kick but guarding before Kakashi-sensei could approach; one of the others made a grab for the __chain__ trailing off the __collar__ around his neck, and he-

Sakura gasped as a hand twisted into her hair, yanking. “What the __hell__ , kid?” scarred mouth demanded, and then shook her by the hair; involuntary tears welled in her eyes. “You don’t exactly look __surprised__. . .”

“I’m not the one who put a jutsu on him.” Sakura wheezed a little as he kneed her in the ribs. “Besides,” she said, grinning innocently - she thought of Sai and broadened it a little, bright and obnoxious, as she angled her hands carefully, pressing against the ropes binding her more firmly - and shrugging a little as she heard a gurgling scream not far away, cutting off abruptly, “Kakashi-sensei is not __that__ different from how he normally is, really?”

Scarred mouth’s eyes widened. “ _ _What__ can you-”

Kakashi-sensei didn’t let him finish, slamming into him and knocking him away. Sakura winced as her hair was pulled harder before scarred mouth’s fingers came free, the impact of Kakashi-sensei’s lunge carrying them further away before he straightened, hand wrenching scarred mouth’s head back at a decidedly unhealthy angle.

He dropped the enemy nin without a second look, gaze fixed on Sakura. He looked a little alarming, Sakura supposed, wincing as the side of her wrist, rubbed raw, brushed against the chair, his mask down and long fangs bared, blood splashed across his face, __prowling__ nearer.

Sakura looked around the cabin and found no one else moving. She took a breath, sighing in relief before turning her attention back to her sensei just as he reached her. Sakura stiffened a little, eyes widening. She hadn’t been lying, __exactly__ \- Kakashi-sensei could be a little . . . feral at the best of times, and more so when he was either angry or contented - but this was . . . far beyond the norm.

Sakura wasn’t __afraid__ of him, but she was uneasy and worried. _For_ him, if nothing else. “Kakashi-sensei?” she said softly, a clink of metal drawing her eyes to the broken chain hanging from the thick leather collar buckled around his throat, partially hidden by his mask where it had scrunched together low on his neck.

Crouching and leaning very far into her space, Kakashi snarled, his lip curling. Sakura blinked, bringing her hands around in front of her with a wince and a careful shift of her shoulders, which ached from the angle she had been tied and the tightness of the rope. “It’s all right, Kakashi-sensei.” she said as calmly as she could, holding out one hand towards him as she bent with another wince - possibly-chakra-mark had kneed her in the ribs pretty hard; Sakura was pretty confident they weren’t cracked but they __hurt__ \- and snagged a kunai that had fallen from possibly-chakra-mark’s pouch probably when she hit the floor.

Sakura used it to free herself from the rest of the ropes quickly and Kakashi-sensei moved back just enough to give her space to climb to her feet. Sakura groaned quietly, stretching and testing her legs carefully as she rose - a twinge in one ankle, but it wasn’t bad enough to be a sprain; she’d caught it at an uncomfortable angle against the threshold when they dragged her inside - and glancing around for her gear by habit.

Kakashi-sensei moved closer again, dipping his head; Sakura thought she felt his nose brushing her hair and suppressed a wince as she realised he was probably getting blood in her hair, then. He didn’t bring his arms up around her, or even move to touch her anywhere else at all, but he didn’t back away either, and Sakura frowned a little, putting the blood out of her mind.

“Er, sensei?” Sakura began, then yelped, startled, as Kakashi-sensei dropped down and inspected her twinging ankle, then sniffed up along her hip and side as he rose again. Sakura cocked her head, looking up at him.

“Sensei!” she yelped in surprise as Kakashi-sensei suddenly picked her up, hands gentle on her hips, turning her first one way and then the other before slowly setting her down just as carefully. Kakashi-sensei moved around her, knocking the chair aside with casual indifference, fingers brushing across her shoulders and stroking the nape of her neck lightly, and Sakura wriggled a little, frowning. Kakashi-sensei squeezed gently at her nape before letting his hand follow the line of her shoulder as he came back around, and Sakura realised, abruptly, what he was doing.

“I’m all right, Kakashi-sensei.” Sakura said, turning and throwing her arms around him, hugging tight and snuggling against his chest. She should have realised quicker.

Kakashi-sensei crooned, returning her embrace - though she could feel him snuffling at her hair, still, and he prodded and petted gently, as though he might have missed an injury in his first inspection. Sakura was bruised and scraped up, but not seriously hurt, and she sighed, releasing her sensei and stepping back just enough to let him see her properly again.

Kakashi-sensei’s eye swept over her, sharp and analytical, and Sakura waited, allowing him to finish his visual inspection. Finally Kakashi-sensei relaxed a little, and she smiled at him even as he ruffled her hair a little more messily than usual. She had bigger problems than a little tangled hair at the moment, and she didn’t imagine protesting would have accomplished much in any case.

Sakura frowned at the collar around Kakashi-sensei’s neck, reaching up and clasping the edge of his flak vest, drawing him nearer. He moved obligingly, and Sakura inspected the leather, brushing her fingers over it cautiously. It just felt like leather, though thick and stiff, and Sakura tugged the fabric of Kakashi-sensei’s crumpled mask away to get a better look.

“We should get this __off__ you, Kakashi-sensei. It can’t be anything good. . .” Sakura trailed off, remembering that red-face had said the jutsu they used on Kakashi-sensei was __anchored__ somehow - this? She scowled, eyes narrowing, and moved closer.

Kakashi-sensei bent helpfully lower as she rose up on the balls of her feet, and Sakura smiled, squeezing his shoulder in thanks. She found the buckle further back, beneath his ear, and frowned at the thick, blocky, faintly blackened metal, gripping one end only to yank her hand back as it stung her fingers, biting back a yelp.

Kakashi-sensei tensed, catching her wrist instantly in a gentle, firm grip. He brought her hand up, nuzzling her fingers, the length of broken chain hanging from the collar clinking quietly, and Sakura shivered, catching her breath and eyeing the collar warily.

. . .the leather hadn’t stung her. Sakura glared at it and scooped up the kunai she’d used to free her legs of the ropes, slipping her fingers along Kakashi-sensei’s neck and beneath the tight collar, avoiding the chain and the buckle as she got a good grip, pulling at it with a wince and a murmured apology. Kakashi-sensei tensed but didn’t protest as the thick leather pulled firmly across his throat in Sakura’s grip, and she fought with the collar for a moment before the kunai, sharp as it was, managed to saw through.

It parted with a quiet snap, and Sakura yanked her hand away before the buckle could make contact, almost flinging the collar away. It tumbled to the floor, and Sakura just made out a series of black symbols - a fuinjutsu? - on the inside of the collar that flared with eye-smarting light, then went dull and disappeared entirely.

Kakashi-sensei tilted his head, rolling his neck and giving a low rumble of approval. Then he grimaced, rubbing at his face, where the blood was beginning to dry, and Sakura laughed a little. He eyed her with a small smile, whuffing, and Sakura smiled back, then turned away, picking her way among the enemy nin - she checked, by habit, but they were all still and dead - to reclaim her gear.

After, she stood by the wall, ankle twinging, and glanced over the enemy nin, then at her sensei, then out through the hole in the wall nearby, frowning. She had an uneasy feeling about remaining here, but she repressed it long enough to complete a standard search of the enemy nin for anything informative.

Kakashi-sensei wasn’t much help, but he did shadow her, watching intently. He barked a low reprimand when Sakura took an unwary step onto what proved to be a loose board near the hole he’d ripped in the wall and her ankle wobbled and nearly gave out.

“I’m fine.” Sakura assured him as she moved on, completing her task. She had turned up nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but at least she had tried. “Come on, Kakashi-sensei, let’s . . . get out of here. We’ll camp somewhere more secure,” she paused, glancing around the room, “and less bloody, maybe.” She snorted. There were already a few buzzing insects beginning to investigate the dead enemy nin.

Sakura shook her head, then turned to make her way out of the hole Kakashi-sensei had made; even after Kakashi-sensei had knocked the door in, there was no guarantee there wouldn’t be a trap on the doorway. Kakashi-sensei slipped out on silent feet, moving ahead of her, then paused, his face tilted up as he breathed, gaze sharp.

Sakura fell in behind him as he chose their path; it was familiar, and he might not be quite his usual self, but she trusted him all the same. Kakashi-sensei led her far from the place that had held their struggle with the Iwa nin before he finally stopped, and the camp might not be quite up to their usual standards, but it was secure enough, and quiet.

Kakashi-sensei washed in the pool nearby, Sakura cooked rice and soup from the dried packets they carried when they anticipated a mission keeping them in the wilds more than settled areas, and they shared a quiet meal before settling down to sleep. Sakura was almost not surprised when Kakashi-sensei called her with a gruffly demanding sound - very clear, even without words - then tucked her down beside him when she came, curling around her.

She didn’t protest. It wasn’t the first time they’d slept tucked up close together, though it was more usually due to limited space or biting cold, and after her capture earlier, and her fear for her sensei. . . Well. Sakura felt better for having Kakashi-sensei warm and solid and breathing beside her, and more secure for knowing he was there for her.

She tucked her face against his chest, her legs curled up and knees pressed against his thigh - he didn’t complain or push her away - and found exhaustion drawing her into sleep much faster than she would have expected.

* * *

Kakashi twitched as he woke, a ticklish feeling making him jerk his head up and back from whatever was ghosting over his jaw. Pink hair, he realised after a beat. Then he frowned, freeing an arm and bringing his hand up to sweep over his bare cheek and chin. His mask was loose around his neck, which ached, not like something he had done to himself, but like the after-effects of external pressure and strain.

He glanced over his sleeping pup, curled up against him, and found her in reasonably good condition, though his eye caught on several dark bruises and raw scrapes along her bare shins and arms, and a paler, but swollen bruise on her face. He suppressed a growl, sorting through his memories as calmly as he could.

He remembered an ambush, Iwa-nin he didn’t recognise - not too skilled to be more than a challenge for Kakashi and his brilliant pup, even if she was still a genin - and he was going to have __words__ about the faulty intelligence on this area of Hi no Kuni, no matter how remote it was. . . Borders were __important__ , and yet so often neglected.

He remembered-

Kakashi flinched as flashes burst through his mind; crashing through a wooden wall, blood on his tongue and on his face as muscle tore between his teeth, dodging flung kunai, breaking a chain that had bound him to the earth by a heavy collar, his pup bringing a blade to his throat. He ran a hand over Sakura’s shoulder and arm as she stirred, and she sighed, relaxing until she was almost boneless again. She didn’t wake.

Kakashi petted her absently, closing his eye as he worked at those broken memories and pieced together the day before, sorting them into the correct order and finding more little details lost in his mind to fill in some of the spaces between. “Clever pup.” he murmured, shaking his head slightly. He resituated Sakura a little further away from his side, stroking her hair to settle her when she mumbled, then rolled away and rose, stretching, inspecting the makeshift camp.

He went to wash a little more thoroughly than he had managed the night before, then returned - Sakura was still sleeping; it had been an exhausting and frightening day for her, he was sure, no matter how well she had handled it - and began putting breakfast together.


End file.
